|
|
Browse All
:
Sun of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Langley Research Center (LaRC) from 2003
|
Printer Friendly |
Scene Identification Compare
…
| Title |
Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-06-21 |
|
Scene Identification Compare
…
| Title |
Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-06-21 |
|
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Comp
…
| Title |
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003 over infrared cloud images for the same period. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds. |
| Completed |
2005-06-20 |
|
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Comp
…
| Title |
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003 over infrared cloud images for the same period. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds. |
| Completed |
2005-06-20 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Longw
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the outgoing thermal radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Thermal radiation is longwave radiation and depends on the temperature of the earth, with the most intense radiation coming from the warmest regions and the least from cold clouds in the atmosphere. Although cold clouds and the cold Antarctic night regions can be seen in this data, the Earth radiates pretty uniformly in the longwave bands because the atmosphere distributes the heat of the sun to the whole planet. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Longw
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the outgoing thermal radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Thermal radiation is longwave radiation and depends on the temperature of the earth, with the most intense radiation coming from the warmest regions and the least from cold clouds in the atmosphere. Although cold clouds and the cold Antarctic night regions can be seen in this data, the Earth radiates pretty uniformly in the longwave bands because the atmosphere distributes the heat of the sun to the whole planet. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Incoming Solar Flux Compared
…
| Title |
Incoming Solar Flux Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the incoming solar radiation within view of CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Because this is incoming solar flux, its magnitude only depends on the position of the sun, and, because the orbit is synchronized with the sun, the orbit crosses the equator in the daylight at about 1:30 PM local time on every orbit. This data is not actually measured from CERES, but is calculated to compare with the outgoing radiation that CERES does measure. Note that the infrared cloud image shown under the solar data shows high infrared as dark (land) and low infrared as light (clouds). |
| Completed |
2005-06-21 |
|
Incoming Solar Flux Compared
…
| Title |
Incoming Solar Flux Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the incoming solar radiation within view of CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Because this is incoming solar flux, its magnitude only depends on the position of the sun, and, because the orbit is synchronized with the sun, the orbit crosses the equator in the daylight at about 1:30 PM local time on every orbit. This data is not actually measured from CERES, but is calculated to compare with the outgoing radiation that CERES does measure. Note that the infrared cloud image shown under the solar data shows high infrared as dark (land) and low infrared as light (clouds). |
| Completed |
2005-06-21 |
|
Instantaneous Scene Identifi
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Scene Identification (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to th e climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Scene Identifi
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Scene Identification (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to th e climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Incoming Solar
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Incoming Solar Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the incoming solar radiation within view of CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Because this is incoming solar flux, its magnitude only depends on the position of the sun, and, because the orbit is synchronized with the sun, the orbit crosses the equator in the daylight at about 1:30 PM local time on every orbit. This data is not actually measured from CERES, but is calculated to compare with the outgoing radiation that CERES does measure. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Incoming Solar
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Incoming Solar Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the incoming solar radiation within view of CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Because this is incoming solar flux, its magnitude only depends on the position of the sun, and, because the orbit is synchronized with the sun, the orbit crosses the equator in the daylight at about 1:30 PM local time on every orbit. This data is not actually measured from CERES, but is calculated to compare with the outgoing radiation that CERES does measure. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Short
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds, followed by ice. Land reflects only a small amount of radiation, but ocean reflects the least, which is the reason that the sun heats the oceans so effectively. Of course, there is no reflected solar radiation in regions of night. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Short
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds, followed by ice. Land reflects only a small amount of radiation, but ocean reflects the least, which is the reason that the sun heats the oceans so effectively. Of course, there is no reflected solar radiation in regions of night. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Dewatering Effects from the
…
| Title |
Dewatering Effects from the Gujarat Earthquake |
| Description |
MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 5736 and 5969. The full-size images cover an area of 215 kilometers x 156 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 71 to 72 within World Reference System-2 path 151. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/JPL) and David J. Diner (JPL)., browse image of orbit 5969 (380 KB JPEG) On January 26, 2001, when India's Republic Day is normally celebrated, a devastating earthquake hit the state of Gujarat. About 20,000 people died and millions were injured throughout the region. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale. After the earthquake, local residents reported a mixture of water and sediments fountaining from the Earth. These effects, referred to as dewatering, can result from intense ground shaking by strong earthquakes in regions with shallow water tables. Scientists initially observed dewatering in parts of the Rann of Kutch (a large salt pan in northern Gujarat), and in areas close to the earthquake epicenter. Recent research utilizes the unique capabilities of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument to observe earthquake-related dewatering over a broader area (related story: NASA Satellite Helps Scientists See Effects of Earthquakes in Remote Areas [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2003/2003020511146.html ]). This research is published in the February 4, 2003, issue of EOS Transactions of the American Geophysical Union. These two false-color MISR images were acquired before and after the event, on January 15 and 31, respectively. The earthquake epicenter was located about 80 kilometers east of the city of Bhuj, situated in the lower part of the images. The later image depicts numerous areas where groundwater flowed up to the surface, including within the Rann of Kutch, as well as near the Indo-Pakistani border. These regions of earthquake-associated surface water are apparent up to 200 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter. Water was observed in many remote areas, especially near the Indo-Pakistani border, which were not easily accessible to survey teams on the ground. Changes in reflection at different view angles and in the near-infrared spectral region assist with the identification of surface water, which appears here in shades of blue and purple. In these visualizations, data from the red band of MISR's most obliquely backward and forward-viewing cameras are displayed as red and blue, respectively, and data from the near-infrared band of MISR's vertically-downward viewing (nadir) camera are displayed as green. Water bodies tend to be more absorbing in the near-infrared, and to be brighter in the view acquired by the more sun-facing (in this case, the 70-degree forward) camera. This combination enhances the ability to distinguish wet surfaces. True color and multi-angle visualizations [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=4810 ] of these data were also released in April 2001. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The |
|
Dewatering Effects from the
…
| Title |
Dewatering Effects from the Gujarat Earthquake |
| Description |
MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 5736 and 5969. The full-size images cover an area of 215 kilometers x 156 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 71 to 72 within World Reference System-2 path 151. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/JPL) and David J. Diner (JPL)., browse image of orbit 5969 (380 KB JPEG) On January 26, 2001, when India's Republic Day is normally celebrated, a devastating earthquake hit the state of Gujarat. About 20,000 people died and millions were injured throughout the region. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale. After the earthquake, local residents reported a mixture of water and sediments fountaining from the Earth. These effects, referred to as dewatering, can result from intense ground shaking by strong earthquakes in regions with shallow water tables. Scientists initially observed dewatering in parts of the Rann of Kutch (a large salt pan in northern Gujarat), and in areas close to the earthquake epicenter. Recent research utilizes the unique capabilities of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument to observe earthquake-related dewatering over a broader area (related story: NASA Satellite Helps Scientists See Effects of Earthquakes in Remote Areas [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2003/2003020511146.html ]). This research is published in the February 4, 2003, issue of EOS Transactions of the American Geophysical Union. These two false-color MISR images were acquired before and after the event, on January 15 and 31, respectively. The earthquake epicenter was located about 80 kilometers east of the city of Bhuj, situated in the lower part of the images. The later image depicts numerous areas where groundwater flowed up to the surface, including within the Rann of Kutch, as well as near the Indo-Pakistani border. These regions of earthquake-associated surface water are apparent up to 200 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter. Water was observed in many remote areas, especially near the Indo-Pakistani border, which were not easily accessible to survey teams on the ground. Changes in reflection at different view angles and in the near-infrared spectral region assist with the identification of surface water, which appears here in shades of blue and purple. In these visualizations, data from the red band of MISR's most obliquely backward and forward-viewing cameras are displayed as red and blue, respectively, and data from the near-infrared band of MISR's vertically-downward viewing (nadir) camera are displayed as green. Water bodies tend to be more absorbing in the near-infrared, and to be brighter in the view acquired by the more sun-facing (in this case, the 70-degree forward) camera. This combination enhances the ability to distinguish wet surfaces. True color and multi-angle visualizations [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=4810 ] of these data were also released in April 2001. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The |
|
Oil Fire Plumes Over Baghdad
PIA04326
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Oil Fire Plumes Over Baghdad |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Dark smoke from oil fires extend for about 60 kilometers south of Iraq's capital city of Baghdad in these images acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on April 2, 2003. The thick, almost black smoke is apparent near image center and contains chemical and particulate components hazardous to human health and the environment. The top panel is from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. Vegetated areas appear red here because this display is constructed using near-infrared, red and blue band data, displayed as red, green and blue, respectively, to produce a false-color image. The bottom panel is a combination of two camera views of the same area and is a 3-D stereo anaglyph in which red band nadir camera data are displayed as red, and red band data from the 60-degree backward-viewing camera are displayed as green and blue. Both panels are oriented with north to the left in order to facilitate stereo viewing. Viewing the 3-D anaglyph with red/blue glasses (with the red filter placed over the left eye and the blue filter over the right) makes it possible to see the rising smoke against the surface terrain. This technique helps to distinguish features in the atmosphere from those on the surface. In addition to the smoke, several high, thin cirrus clouds (barely visible in the nadir view) are readily observed using the stereo image. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17489. The panels cover an area of about 187 kilometers x 123 kilometers, and use data from blocks 63 to 65 within World Reference System-2 path 168. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
|
Sun Glint from Solar Electri
…
PIA04359
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Sun Glint from Solar Electric Generating Stations |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Depending upon the position of the Sun, the solar power stations in California's Mohave Desert can reflect solar energy from their large, mirror-like surfaces directly toward one of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) cameras, and appear dramatically brighter at some observation angles than at others. The solar power fields are readily discernible in this set of natural-color images as the Sun's rays are reflected differently from the solar power fields at different observation angles. These four images were acquired on 8 April 2003, when the MISR camera closest to the specular reflection angle (the angle at which a perfect mirror reflects light) was the 26 forward-pointing camera. The solar fields can be readily identified by comparing the 26 forward camera view (top right-hand panel) with the other camera views, and also by using the animation, which covers the same geographic area but uses data acquired on 24 October 2000, when both the 60 and 46 forward cameras pointed close to the specular reflection angle. Since MISR's forward-viewing cameras point toward the Sun in the northern hemisphere, and because these parabolic reflectors move to track the Sun, only the forward-pointing cameras sometimes observe these solar fields near the specular reflection angle. The two Solar Electric Generating Systems (SEGS) that appear alternately dim and very bright are the 150 megawatt array at Kramer Junction (slightly above image center) and the 160 megawatt array at Harper Lake (upper right-hand corner). The Mohave Desert SEGS are the largest collection of solar fields in the world. Together they cover an area of about 2000 acres and have a combined electrical capacity of 354 megawatts. The types of solar-concentrator systems used in the Mohave track the Sun with parabolic reflectors and use either oil-filled tubes or tall receiving towers to convert solar energy into heat. The plants were built during the 1980s and are still in commercial operation. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17583, and the animation comes from orbit 4535. The images cover an area of about 93 kilometers x 100 kilometers and utilize data from blocks 62 to 63 within World Reference System-2 path 41. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Breakup of the World's Large
…
PIA04344
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Breakup of the World's Largest Iceberg |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Iceberg B-15A was the largest iceberg in the world (measuring about 11,000 square kilometers) when it broke away from Western Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000. It held that distinction for over three years until splitting into two pieces in early October, 2003. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) acquired these views of the new iceberg B-15J (resting against Ross Island) and B-15A (now free to drift into the Southern Ocean) on October 26. Several massive icebergs (including B-15A) had migrated during 2000 and 2001 and ground against Ross Island [ http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/galhistory/2002_jan_02.html ], forming a barrier that influenced wind and current patterns and altered the regional ecology. The two images provide information on both the spectral and angular reflectance properties of ice types in the region. The left-hand panel is a false-color view from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera in which near-infrared, red and blue spectral data are displayed as red, green and blue, respectively. Because of the tendency of water to absorb near-infrared wavelengths, some ice types exhibit an especially bright blue hue in this display. The right-hand panel is a multi-angular composite from three MISR cameras, in which color acts as a proxy for angular reflectance variations related to texture. Here, data from the red-band of MISR's 60° forward-viewing, nadir, and 60° backward-viewing cameras are displayed as red, green and blue, respectively. In the southern latitudes, MISR's backward-pointing cameras receive a stronger signal from surfaces that predominantly forward scatter sunlight (these tend to be smooth surfaces), and MISR's forward-pointing cameras receive a stronger signal from surfaces that predominantly backscatter sunlight (these tend to be rougher surfaces). Thus, the colors in this representation highlight textural properties of elements within the scene, with blue tones indicating smoother surfaces and red/orange hues indicating rougher surfaces. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire Earth between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 20511. The panels cover an area of 129 kilometers x 221 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 153 to 155 within World Reference System-2 path 56. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Oil Slicks on Lake Maracaibo
…
PIA04331
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Oil Slicks on Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Several oil slicks occurred on Lake Maracaibo in northwestern Venezuela between December 2002 and January 2003, and were observed by various satellite instruments. These images from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) provide new information relating to one such event near the center of Lake Maracaibo on December 26, 2002. In unpolluted areas, the water surface is "ruffled" by wind and the resulting wave facets divert reflected rays into many directions. An oil film dampens the presence of small wind-driven "capillary" waves, resulting a smoother, more mirror-like surface. Also, oil is more strongly absorbing than the surrounding water. Therefore, at most viewing angles, a surface slick will appear darker than the surrounding unpolluted areas, whereas near the specular angle (the angle at which a perfect mirror reflects light) it will appear brighter. Simultaneous observation at multiple view angles therefore enhances the reliability of oil-slick detection using optical imaging. An example of how the optical contrast of an oil film on a water surface changes as a function of viewing angle is illustrated by these false-color MISR images, comprised of near-infrared, red and blue spectral data at three different angles, using the vertical-viewing camera (left), the 26°-forward-viewing camera (center) and the 46°-forward-viewing camera (right). A swirly area in the middle of the lake appears darker than the surrounding waters at both the nadir and 46° views, but brighter than the surrounding waters at the 26° view. Of the three images, only the 26° camera observes close to specular reflection angle. Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in South America. The lake is somewhat saline, since it is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by a narrow strait in the north. Venezuela is the largest oil producing nation in the Western Hemisphere, and the Lake Maracaibo basin includes the largest oil fields and almost a quarter of this nation's population. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 16081. The panels cover an area of 72 kilometers x 225 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 81 to 83 within World Reference System-2 path 8. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Smoke Plumes from the B&B Co
…
PIA04338
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Smoke Plumes from the B&B Complex Fires, Oregon |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The extent, height, and amount of smoke originating from the B&B Complex Fires in central Oregon are captured in these September 4, 2003 views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). When the data were acquired, the Booth and Bear Butte Fires had been underway for 16 days and had consumed about 70,000 acres near Sisters, Oregon. Although a distinct plume rises from the location of the Bear Butte Fire (just northwest of the larger Booth Fire), the fire-lines had merged together by this time and became known as the B&B Complex. Centered in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests, the blazes in these mixed-conifer old-growth forests were aided by earlier dry conditions and fed by heavy fuel loads, regeneration timbers, and large tracts of beetle-killed dead woods. The left and center-left panels are natural-color images from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) and most obliquely forward-viewing (70-degree) cameras, respectively. The appearance of smoke and haze is enhanced at the more oblique view. The center-right panel is a height field for features exhibiting sufficient spatial contrast for their elevations to be retrieved by MISR's automated stereo algorithm. The results indicate that the tops of the two main plumes originating from the B&B complex differ in altitude by about 1-2 kilometers. At right is a map of aerosol optical depth, a measure of the amount of aerosol particles present within the atmospheric column. In the central portion of the plume, the smoke was too thick for MISR's automated optical depth retrieval algorithm to work, and over these areas or locations where clouds or other factors precluded a retrieval the map is colored black. The animation depicts a "multi-angle fly-over" of the plumes, and was generated using red-band data from MISR's vertical and backward-viewing cameras. The imagery at each angle was processed to give an approximate perspective view. The final frame of the animation is at the 70-backward viewing angle, and makes visible the relative heights of several plumes and nearby clouds. The dashed line across this image is a data dropout. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 19753. The panels cover an area of approximately 400 kilometers x 986 kilometers and extend from northern California to central Washington. They utilize data from blocks 52 to 58 within World Reference System-2 path 44. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Burn Scars Across Southern C
…
PIA04346
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Burn Scars Across Southern California |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Brush fires consumed nearly 750,000 acres across Southern California between October 21 and November 18, 2003. Burn scars and vegetation changes wrought by the fires are illustrated in these false-color images captured on October 17 (top) and November 18 (bottom) by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The images were created by displaying red, near-infrared and green spectral band data from MISR's nadir(downward-looking) camera as red, green and blue, respectively. Living vegetation appears in shades of green and urban areas appear pale grey and pink. Recently burnt areas can be identified by their dramatic changes from vivid green to brown hues several weeks later. The locations of the largest fires are indicated by an annotated version of the November 18 image. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire Earth between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 20379 and 20845. The panels cover an area of about 241 kilometers x 162 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 63 to 64 within World Reference System-2 path 41. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Burn Scars Across Southern C
…
PIA04346
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Burn Scars Across Southern California |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Brush fires consumed nearly 750,000 acres across Southern California between October 21 and November 18, 2003. Burn scars and vegetation changes wrought by the fires are illustrated in these false-color images captured on October 17 (top) and November 18 (bottom) by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The images were created by displaying red, near-infrared and green spectral band data from MISR's nadir(downward-looking) camera as red, green and blue, respectively. Living vegetation appears in shades of green and urban areas appear pale grey and pink. Recently burnt areas can be identified by their dramatic changes from vivid green to brown hues several weeks later. The locations of the largest fires are indicated by an annotated version of the November 18 image. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire Earth between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 20379 and 20845. The panels cover an area of about 241 kilometers x 162 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 63 to 64 within World Reference System-2 path 41. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Aspects of Hurricane Isabel
PIA04339
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Aspects of Hurricane Isabel |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Cloud-top radiance and height characteristics of Hurricane Isabel are depicted in these data products and animations from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). Isabel was upgraded to hurricane status a few hours after the top image panels in this set were acquired on September 7, 2003. By the time the bottom panels were acquired on September 11,Isabel was a strengthening category 4 hurricane, centered about 900 kilometers east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Along the left are radiance images from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir)camera, at center are cloud-top height fields, and the right-hand panels provide retrieved local albedo values. The cloud-top heights are retrieved using automated stereoscopic processing of data from multiple MISR cameras, and are uncorrected at this stage for the effects of the exceptionally high winds associated with the hurricane's rotation. Albedo values are dependent upon the observed cloud radiances as a function of view angle and upon the cloud height field, and are well-represented here. Albedo is a function of the amount of sunlight reflected back to space divided by the amount of incident sunlight. Cloud height and albedo are among the principle variables governing the influences of clouds on climate. Areas where height and albedo could not be retrieved are shown in dark grey. The animations are created with radiance imagery from all nine MISR cameras, from the most steeply forward-viewing to the most steeply backward-viewing. Hurricane Isabel's counter-clockwise rotation over the course of the seven minutes required for all nine cameras to view the scene can be observed, and the multiple perspectives provide a unique look at cloud structure. For example, at the steeper look angles of the 7 September fly-over, thin clouds can be discerned above the storm's eye. The loose structure and large, ragged eye of Tropical Storm Isabel on the 7th contrasts with the well-developed eyewall, deep convective clouds and strong rotation of Hurricane Isabel on the 11th. Click here to download an MPEG version of the Hurricane animation. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 19793 and 19852. The panels cover an area of about 360 kilometers x 560 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 77 to 80 and 72 to 75 within World Reference System-2 paths 218 and 230, respectively. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Aspects of Hurricane Isabel
PIA04339
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Aspects of Hurricane Isabel |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Cloud-top radiance and height characteristics of Hurricane Isabel are depicted in these data products and animations from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). Isabel was upgraded to hurricane status a few hours after the top image panels in this set were acquired on September 7, 2003. By the time the bottom panels were acquired on September 11,Isabel was a strengthening category 4 hurricane, centered about 900 kilometers east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Along the left are radiance images from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir)camera, at center are cloud-top height fields, and the right-hand panels provide retrieved local albedo values. The cloud-top heights are retrieved using automated stereoscopic processing of data from multiple MISR cameras, and are uncorrected at this stage for the effects of the exceptionally high winds associated with the hurricane's rotation. Albedo values are dependent upon the observed cloud radiances as a function of view angle and upon the cloud height field, and are well-represented here. Albedo is a function of the amount of sunlight reflected back to space divided by the amount of incident sunlight. Cloud height and albedo are among the principle variables governing the influences of clouds on climate. Areas where height and albedo could not be retrieved are shown in dark grey. The animations are created with radiance imagery from all nine MISR cameras, from the most steeply forward-viewing to the most steeply backward-viewing. Hurricane Isabel's counter-clockwise rotation over the course of the seven minutes required for all nine cameras to view the scene can be observed, and the multiple perspectives provide a unique look at cloud structure. For example, at the steeper look angles of the 7 September fly-over, thin clouds can be discerned above the storm's eye. The loose structure and large, ragged eye of Tropical Storm Isabel on the 7th contrasts with the well-developed eyewall, deep convective clouds and strong rotation of Hurricane Isabel on the 11th. Click here to download an MPEG version of the Hurricane animation. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 19793 and 19852. The panels cover an area of about 360 kilometers x 560 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 77 to 80 and 72 to 75 within World Reference System-2 paths 218 and 230, respectively. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Aspects of Hurricane Isabel
PIA04339
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Aspects of Hurricane Isabel |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Cloud-top radiance and height characteristics of Hurricane Isabel are depicted in these data products and animations from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). Isabel was upgraded to hurricane status a few hours after the top image panels in this set were acquired on September 7, 2003. By the time the bottom panels were acquired on September 11,Isabel was a strengthening category 4 hurricane, centered about 900 kilometers east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Along the left are radiance images from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir)camera, at center are cloud-top height fields, and the right-hand panels provide retrieved local albedo values. The cloud-top heights are retrieved using automated stereoscopic processing of data from multiple MISR cameras, and are uncorrected at this stage for the effects of the exceptionally high winds associated with the hurricane's rotation. Albedo values are dependent upon the observed cloud radiances as a function of view angle and upon the cloud height field, and are well-represented here. Albedo is a function of the amount of sunlight reflected back to space divided by the amount of incident sunlight. Cloud height and albedo are among the principle variables governing the influences of clouds on climate. Areas where height and albedo could not be retrieved are shown in dark grey. The animations are created with radiance imagery from all nine MISR cameras, from the most steeply forward-viewing to the most steeply backward-viewing. Hurricane Isabel's counter-clockwise rotation over the course of the seven minutes required for all nine cameras to view the scene can be observed, and the multiple perspectives provide a unique look at cloud structure. For example, at the steeper look angles of the 7 September fly-over, thin clouds can be discerned above the storm's eye. The loose structure and large, ragged eye of Tropical Storm Isabel on the 7th contrasts with the well-developed eyewall, deep convective clouds and strong rotation of Hurricane Isabel on the 11th. Click here to download an MPEG version of the Hurricane animation. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 19793 and 19852. The panels cover an area of about 360 kilometers x 560 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 77 to 80 and 72 to 75 within World Reference System-2 paths 218 and 230, respectively. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Gravity Waves Ripple over Ma
…
PIA04349
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Gravity Waves Ripple over Marine Stratocumulus Clouds |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
In this natural-color image from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), a fingerprint-like gravity wave feature occurs over a deck of marine stratocumulus clouds. Similar to the ripples that occur when a pebble is thrown into a still pond, such "gravity waves" sometimes appear when the relatively stable and stratified air masses associated with stratocumulus cloud layers are disturbed by a vertical trigger from the underlying terrain, or by a thunderstorm updraft or some other vertical wind shear. The stratocumulus cellular clouds that underlie the wave feature are associated with sinking air that is strongly cooled at the level of the cloud-tops -- such clouds are common over mid-latitude oceans when the air is unperturbed by cyclonic or frontal activity. This image is centered over the Indian Ocean (at about 38.9° South, 80.6° East), and was acquired on October 29, 2003. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 20545. The image covers an area of 245 kilometers x 378 kilometers, and uses data from blocks 121 to 122 within World Reference System-2 path 134. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Drought and Burn Scars in So
…
PIA04321
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Drought and Burn Scars in Southeastern Australia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
More than 2 million acres were consumed by hundreds of fires between December 2002 and February 2003 in southeastern Australia's national parks, forests, foothills and city suburbs. These images were acquired on February 14, 2002 (left) and February 17, 2003 (right) by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite. The year 2002 was one of Australia's hottest and driest on record, and the acreage burnt during the summer 2002-2003 fire season in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales, is the largest since 1938-1939, when more than 3 million acres were scorched. The extent of the burnt area and the dry conditions as of February 2003 are indicated by these contrasting false-color views. Both image panels display data from the near-infrared, red and blue spectral bands of MISR's downward-viewing (nadir) camera, as red, green and blue, respectively. This display technique causes healthy vegetation to appear red and burnt areas to show as dark brown. The data displayed from the two dates were processed identically to preserve relative brightness variations. Vegetation changes related to the dry conditions (not related to the brown burn scars) are also indicated in the February 2003 panel, where many previously red areas exhibit instead the pale yellow-brown of the underlying soils and geology. Significant reduction in the surface area of several large and important water bodies are also apparent. The diminished extent of Lake Hume (along the left-hand edge) in the later date provides a good example. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 14999 and 16858. The panels cover an area of about 208 kilometers x 286 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 118 to 121 within World Reference System-2 path 91. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
|
Smoke from Siberian Taiga Fi
…
PIA04341
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Smoke from Siberian Taiga Fires |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
During the 2003 fire season, blazes in the taiga forests of Eastern Siberia were part of a vast network of fires across Siberia and the Russian Far East, northeast China and northern Mongolia. Fires in Eastern Siberia have been increasing in recent years, and the 2003 spring and summer seasons are the most extensive recorded in over 100 years. Overall, the Russian Federation experienced a record-setting fire year, with over 55 million acres burnt by early August, according to the Global Fire Monitoring Center [ http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/GFMCnew/2003/0808/20030808_ru.htm ] . These data products from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) illustrate the extent and height of smoke from numerous fires in the Lake Baikal region on June 11, 2003. The left and center panels are natural-color views from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) and 70-degree forward-viewing cameras, respectively. The steeply-looking camera enhances the appearance of smoke, such that many areas, including Lake Baikal (the long dark water body along the left-hand image edge), are almost completely obscured by smoke at the oblique view angle. The image area includes part of the Russian states of Irkutsk, Buryatia, and Chita, as well as northern Mongolia, with these areas stretching from upper-left to bottom-right, respectively. On the right is a map of stereoscopically retrieved heights for features exhibiting sufficient spatial contrast. The heights correspond to elevations above sea level. Taking into account the surface elevation, the smoke plumes range from about 2-5 kilometers above the surface. Larger heights are mostly associated with clouds. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown as dark gray. Fire is an important ecological factor in the taiga forests, but in this region a combination of dry conditions and increased human exploitation during recent decades can increase the frequency and extent of fires and alter the historical fire regime. It is important to consider the effects of changing fire regimes from a climatological point of view, since the complex interactions between aerosols (tiny airborne particles), clouds, surfaces and the hydrological cycle are the main source of uncertainty in global climate models. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 18506. The panels cover an area of about 400 kilometers x 1600 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 41 to 54 within World Reference System-2 path 130. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Seasonal Changes in Earth's
…
PIA04378
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Seasonal Changes in Earth's Surface Albedo |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(e.g., estimation of crop yields and disease outbreaks) and land management. Global MISR DHR maps are also available for all other parts of the planet, and for monthly as well as seasonal time increments. These and other surface and vegetation products from the MISR instrument are available from the MISR instrument are available from the NASA Langley Atmospheric Sciences Data Center's MISR Level 3 Imagery [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04378 http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/ ] website. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology., About 50 million square kilometers of the Earth's terrestrial surface undergo a transition each year from freeze to thaw, thus setting off a series of global biospheric processes. Much of this activity can be detected by the temporal changes in the amount of sunlight reflected by the Earth's surface at various wavelengths. A quantitative measure of this reflected sunlight is described by the albedo, which is the fraction of sunlight reflected by a surface area to that incident on the surface area in all directions, typically in a given spectral band. The surface albedo can vary between zero (all incident sunlight is absorbed at the surface and none is reflected) and one (all incident sunlight is reflected from the surface and none is absorbed). Fresh snow is an example of a surface type with an albedo close to one in the visible region of the solar spectrum whereas deep clean ocean water has an albedo that is close to zero. Five years of global surface albedo data are now available as summary maps from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The globes in the image show a particular kind of albedo, formally known as Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR), in which all scattering effects from the atmosphere are removed. Thus the sunlight incident on any part of the global surface is uniquely directional, coming only from the location of the sun in the sky and with no multidirectional sunlight created by scattering in the atmosphere. The first and third line of globes show MISR blue, green, and red band DHR, combined to create a natural color DHR. The second and fourth line of globes show DHR-PAR, that DHR for the sunlight band containing only those wavelengths used in photosynthesis (400 - 700 nanometers), which are absorbed by vegetation. The sunlight in this spectral region is known as photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), thus the label DHR-PAR for the associated albedo. A heavily vegetated surface area will therefore have a small DHR-PAR value (blue on the color scale) while non-vegetated areas where absorption is small in the PAR region will tend to have high values of DHR-PAR (green to red on the color scale). Regions where DHR or DHR-PAR could not be derived, either due to an inability to retrieve the necessary atmospheric characteristics or due to the presence of clouds, are shown in black. The globes cover most of Asia, eastern Europe and the Middle East, for each of the four seasons in the years 2003 and 2004. Noteworthy differences between the years 2003 and 2004 include increased albedo over the Gobi Desert region during September to November of 2004, compared with this interval in 2003. Surface albedo changes occur naturally on a seasonal and annual basis, but albedo is also sensitive to perturbations such as land use changes. Albedo maps constitute an important dataset in climate studies, particularly climate modeling. Combined with solar exposure estimates, they are also useful in agricultural research |
|
Smoke from Asian Fires Trave
…
PIA04276
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Smoke from Asian Fires Traverses the Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
In the boreal zone of Eurasia, particularly in the Russian Federation and northern China, the number and extent of fires have been observed to increase over the last few years. During the first two weeks of April, 2003, numerous fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10155 ], occurred in eastern Russia and northeast China, and produced a large amount of smoke that rose to form a thick layer of tiny atmospheric particles, or aerosols. As these aerosols moved eastwards over the northern portion of the Pacific Ocean, the thickness of the smoke passing over an area south of the Aleutian Islands was measured by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard NASA's Terra satellite. At left is a natural-color image acquired by MISR's most obliquely forward-viewing camera. In this view, the pall of smoke causes the normally dark ocean water to appear significantly brighter. The center panel is a stereoscopically-derived height field for the clouds, with retrieved cloud-tracked wind vectors (indicated by the yellow arrows) superimposed over the height field. The vectors point in the direction of wind motion and their lengths are proportional to speed, with the longest vector corresponding to a wind speed of about 19 meters per second. (Note that these vectors can represent winds associated with clouds at different altitudes.) The smoke exhibits very little spatial contrast and is not captured by the stereoscopic height and wind retrievals. However, the smoke is situated at a similar altitude to the low-level stratocumulus clouds, and the existing wind vectors indicate that winds at these altitudes blew generally from the west. The right-hand panel maps the abundance of aerosol particles as aerosol optical depth. MISR characterizes aerosols by the changes in the atmosphere's ability to transmit light at different view angles and by the variation in scene brightness, as well as by the spectral characteristics of aerosols. Higher optical depths corresponding with regions containing significant amounts of smoke are indicated by green, yellow and orange pixels, while clearer skies are indicated by the blue and purple pixels. Places where clouds or other factors precluded an aerosol retrieval are shown in dark gray. The three panels cover the same geographic area, which ranges in latitude from about 32° N to 47° N and traverses the international dateline from 171° E to 179° W. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17644. The panels cover an area of approximately 400 kilometers x 1830 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 52 to 64 within World Reference System-2 path 85. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Casting Light and Shadows on
…
PIA04322
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Casting Light and Shadows on a Saharan Dust Storm |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On March 2, 2003, near-surface winds carried a large amount of Saharan dust aloft and transported the material westward over the Atlantic Ocean. These observations from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard NASA's Terra satellite depict an area near the Cape Verde Islands (situated about 700 kilometers off of Africa's western coast) and provide images of the dust plume along with measurements of its height and motion. Tracking the three-dimensional extent and motion of air masses containing dust or other types of aerosols provides data that can be used to verify and improve computer simulations of particulate transport over large distances, with application to enhancing our understanding of the effects of such particles on meteorology, ocean biological productivity, and human health. MISR images the Earth by measuring the spatial patterns of reflected sunlight. In the upper panel of the still image pair, the observations are displayed as a natural-color snapshot from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. High-altitude cirrus clouds cast shadows on the underlying ocean and dust layer, which are visible in shades of blue and tan, respectively. In the lower panel, heights derived from automated stereoscopic processing of MISR's multi-angle imagery show the cirrus clouds (yellow areas) to be situated about 12 kilometers above sea level. The distinctive spatial patterns of these clouds provide the necessary contrast to enable automated feature matching between images acquired at different view angles. For most of the dust layer, which is spatially much more homogeneous, the stereoscopic approach was unable to retrieve elevation data. However, the edges of shadows cast by the cirrus clouds onto the dust (indicated by blue and cyan pixels) provide sufficient spatial contrast for a retrieval of the dust layer's height, and indicate that the top of layer is only about 2.5 kilometers above sea level. Motion of the dust and clouds is directly observable with the assistance of the multi-angle "fly-over" animation (Below). The frames of the animation consist of data acquired by the 70-degree, 60-degree, 46-degree and 26-degree forward-viewing cameras in sequence, followed by the images from the nadir camera and each of the four backward-viewing cameras, ending with 70-degree backward image. Much of the south-to-north shift in the position of the clouds is due to geometric parallax between the nine view angles (rather than true motion), whereas the west-to-east motion is due to actual motion of the clouds over the seven minutes during which all nine cameras observed the scene. MISR's automated data processing retrieved a primarily westerly (eastward) motion of these clouds with speeds of 30-40 meters per second. Note that there is much less geometric parallax for the cloud shadows owing to the relatively low altitude of the dust layer upon which the shadows are cast (the amount of parallax is proportional to elevation and a feature at the, surface would have no geometric parallax at all), however, the westerly motion of the shadows matches the actual motion of the clouds. The automated processing was not able to resolve a velocity for the dust plume, but by manually tracking dust features within the plume images that comprise the animation sequence we can derive an easterly (westward) speed of about 16 meters per second. These analyses and visualizations of the MISR data demonstrate that not only are the cirrus clouds and dust separated significantly in elevation, but they exist in completely different wind regimes, with the clouds moving toward the east and the dust moving toward the west. (Click on image above for high resolution version) The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17040. The panels cover an area of about 312 kilometers x 242 kilometers, and use data from blocks 74 to 77 within World Reference System-2 path 207. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
|
Casting Light and Shadows on
…
PIA04322
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Casting Light and Shadows on a Saharan Dust Storm |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On March 2, 2003, near-surface winds carried a large amount of Saharan dust aloft and transported the material westward over the Atlantic Ocean. These observations from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard NASA's Terra satellite depict an area near the Cape Verde Islands (situated about 700 kilometers off of Africa's western coast) and provide images of the dust plume along with measurements of its height and motion. Tracking the three-dimensional extent and motion of air masses containing dust or other types of aerosols provides data that can be used to verify and improve computer simulations of particulate transport over large distances, with application to enhancing our understanding of the effects of such particles on meteorology, ocean biological productivity, and human health. MISR images the Earth by measuring the spatial patterns of reflected sunlight. In the upper panel of the still image pair, the observations are displayed as a natural-color snapshot from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. High-altitude cirrus clouds cast shadows on the underlying ocean and dust layer, which are visible in shades of blue and tan, respectively. In the lower panel, heights derived from automated stereoscopic processing of MISR's multi-angle imagery show the cirrus clouds (yellow areas) to be situated about 12 kilometers above sea level. The distinctive spatial patterns of these clouds provide the necessary contrast to enable automated feature matching between images acquired at different view angles. For most of the dust layer, which is spatially much more homogeneous, the stereoscopic approach was unable to retrieve elevation data. However, the edges of shadows cast by the cirrus clouds onto the dust (indicated by blue and cyan pixels) provide sufficient spatial contrast for a retrieval of the dust layer's height, and indicate that the top of layer is only about 2.5 kilometers above sea level. Motion of the dust and clouds is directly observable with the assistance of the multi-angle "fly-over" animation (Below). The frames of the animation consist of data acquired by the 70-degree, 60-degree, 46-degree and 26-degree forward-viewing cameras in sequence, followed by the images from the nadir camera and each of the four backward-viewing cameras, ending with 70-degree backward image. Much of the south-to-north shift in the position of the clouds is due to geometric parallax between the nine view angles (rather than true motion), whereas the west-to-east motion is due to actual motion of the clouds over the seven minutes during which all nine cameras observed the scene. MISR's automated data processing retrieved a primarily westerly (eastward) motion of these clouds with speeds of 30-40 meters per second. Note that there is much less geometric parallax for the cloud shadows owing to the relatively low altitude of the dust layer upon which the shadows are cast (the amount of parallax is proportional to elevation and a feature at the, surface would have no geometric parallax at all), however, the westerly motion of the shadows matches the actual motion of the clouds. The automated processing was not able to resolve a velocity for the dust plume, but by manually tracking dust features within the plume images that comprise the animation sequence we can derive an easterly (westward) speed of about 16 meters per second. These analyses and visualizations of the MISR data demonstrate that not only are the cirrus clouds and dust separated significantly in elevation, but they exist in completely different wind regimes, with the clouds moving toward the east and the dust moving toward the west. (Click on image above for high resolution version) The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17040. The panels cover an area of about 312 kilometers x 242 kilometers, and use data from blocks 74 to 77 within World Reference System-2 path 207. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
|
Greenland's Coast in Holiday
…
PIA05070
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Greenland's Coast in Holiday Colors |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Vibrant reds, emerald greens, brilliant whites, and pastel blues adorn this view of the area surrounding the Jakobshavn Glacier on the western coast of Greenland. The image is a false-color (near-infrared, green, blue) view acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer's nadir camera. The brightness of vegetation in the near-infrared contributes to the reddish hues, glacial silt gives rise to the green color of the water, and blue-colored melt ponds are visible in the bright white ice. A scattering of small icebergs in Disco Bay adds a touch of glittery sparkle to the scene. The large island in the upper left is called Qeqertarsuaq. To the east of this island, and just above image center, is the outlet of the fast-flowing Jakobshavn (or Ilulissat) glacier. Jakobshavn is considered to have the highest iceberg production of all Greenland glaciers and is a major drainage outlet for a large portion of the western side of the ice sheet. Icebergs released from the glacier drift slowly with the ocean currents and pose hazards for shipping along the coast. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer views the daylit Earth continuously and the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude is observed every 9 days. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired on June 18, 2003 during Terra orbit 18615. The image cover an area of about 254 kilometers x 210 kilometers, and use data from blocks 34 to 35 within World Reference System-2 path 10. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Floodwaters Renew Zambia's K
…
PIA04371
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Floodwaters Renew Zambia's Kafue Wetland |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Not all floods are unwanted. Heavy rainfall in southern Africa between December 2003 and April 2004 provided central Zambia with floodwaters needed to support the diverse uses of water within the Kafue Flats area. The Kafue Flats are home to about one million people and provide a rich inland fishery, habitat for an array of unique wildlife, and the means for hydroelectricity production. The Flats falls between two dams: Upstream to the west (not visible here) is the Izhi-tezhi, and downstream (middle right of the images) is the Kafue Gorge dam. Since the construction of these dams, the flooded area has been reduced and the timing and intensity of the inundation has changed. During June 2004 an agreement was made with the hydroelectricity company to restore water releases from the dams according to a more natural flooding regime. These images from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) illustrate surface changes to the wetlands and other surfaces in central Zambia resulting from an unusually lengthy wet season. The Kafue Flats appear relatively dry on July 19, 2003 (upper images), with the Kafue River visible as a slender dark line that snakes from east to west on its way to join the Zambezi (visible in the lower right-hand corner). On July 21, 2004 (lower images), well into the dry season, much of the 6,500-square kilometer area of the Kafue Flats remains inundated. To the east of the Kafue Flats is Lusaka, the Zambian capital, visible as a pale area in the middle right of the picture, north of the river. In the upper portions of these images is the prominent roundish shape of the Lukanga Swamp, another important wetland. The images along the left are natural-color views from MISR's nadir camera, and the images along the right are angular composites in which red band data from MISR's 46° forward, nadir, and 46° backward viewing cameras is displayed as red, green and blue, respectively. In order to preserve brightness variations among the various cameras, the data from each camera were processed identically. Here, color changes indicate surface texture, and are influenced by terrain, vegetation structure, soil type and soil moisture content. Wet surfaces or areas with standing water appear blue in this display because sun glitter makes smooth, wet surfaces look brighter at the backward camera's view angle. Mostly the landscape appears somewhat purple, indicating that most of the surfaces scatter sunlight in both backward and forward directions. Areas that appear with a slight greenish hue can indicate sparce vegetation, since the nadir camera is more likely to sight the gaps between the trees or shrubs, and since vegetation is darker (in the red band) than the underlying soil surface. Areas which preferentially exhibit a red or pink hue correspond with wetland vegetation. The plateau of the Kafue National Park, to the west of Lukanga Swamp, appears brighter in 2004 compared with 2003, which indicates weaker absorption at the red, band. Overall, the 2004 image exhibits a subtle blue hue (preference for forward-scattering) compared with 2003, which indicates overall surface changes that may be a result of enhanced surface wetness. The Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 19072 and 24421. The panels cover an area of 235 kilometers x 239 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 100 to 103 within World Reference System-2 path 172. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Capturing the Motion of an E
…
PIA04347
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Capturing the Motion of an Eclipse Shadow |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Within that narrow window during a solar eclipse where an observer on Earth can watch the Moon's shadow obscure more than 90% the Sun's disk, the Multiangle Imaging Spectro Radiometer (MISR) captured these views of the Antarctic surface during the total solar eclipse of November 23, 2003. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow began in the Indian Ocean in the far Southern Hemisphere, and passed over parts of the Queen Maud and Wilkes Lands in Eastern Antarctica. In this set of images, the darkness of the shadow is clearly increasing over the 7 minutes that it takes for all of MISR's nine cameras to view a scene. These nine images progress from the most forward-pointing camera (far left) through to the most backward-pointing camera (far right), cover the same geographic area, and have been processed identically. The area covered by the nine MISR swaths begins at the Antarctic coastline (about 66° S, 140° E) near the French station, Dumont d'Urville, and ends at about 77° S, 32° E in Queen Maud Land. The increasing darkness in the center part of the images relates to the approach to the time of maximum eclipse. This detailed map indicates the position and time of maximum eclipse, when the Sun's disk was completely blocked. The first MISR camera observed the area of the 23:00 UTC box at 22:57, and sunset occurred before MISR viewed the coast at Maitri station. The blue arrow on this context map indicates the position and direction of the MISR coverage in relation to the Terra MODIS view [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Antarctica.A2003327.2255 ] of the eclipse. The Multiangle Imaging Spectro Radiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 20920. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 2909 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 146 to 170 within World Reference System-2 path76. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Capturing the Motion of an E
…
PIA04347
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Capturing the Motion of an Eclipse Shadow |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Within that narrow window during a solar eclipse where an observer on Earth can watch the Moon's shadow obscure more than 90% the Sun's disk, the Multiangle Imaging Spectro Radiometer (MISR) captured these views of the Antarctic surface during the total solar eclipse of November 23, 2003. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow began in the Indian Ocean in the far Southern Hemisphere, and passed over parts of the Queen Maud and Wilkes Lands in Eastern Antarctica. In this set of images, the darkness of the shadow is clearly increasing over the 7 minutes that it takes for all of MISR's nine cameras to view a scene. These nine images progress from the most forward-pointing camera (far left) through to the most backward-pointing camera (far right), cover the same geographic area, and have been processed identically. The area covered by the nine MISR swaths begins at the Antarctic coastline (about 66° S, 140° E) near the French station, Dumont d'Urville, and ends at about 77° S, 32° E in Queen Maud Land. The increasing darkness in the center part of the images relates to the approach to the time of maximum eclipse. This detailed map indicates the position and time of maximum eclipse, when the Sun's disk was completely blocked. The first MISR camera observed the area of the 23:00 UTC box at 22:57, and sunset occurred before MISR viewed the coast at Maitri station. The blue arrow on this context map indicates the position and direction of the MISR coverage in relation to the Terra MODIS view [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Antarctica.A2003327.2255 ] of the eclipse. The Multiangle Imaging Spectro Radiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 20920. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 2909 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 146 to 170 within World Reference System-2 path76. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Greener Pastures in Northern
…
PIA04352
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Greener Pastures in Northern Queensland, Australia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
After a 19 month rainfall deficiency, heavy rainfall during January 2004 brought drought relief to much of northern Queensland. Local graziers hope for good long-term responses in pasture growth from the heavy rains. These images and maps from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) portray part of Australia's Mitchell Grasslands bioregion before summer rainfall, on October 18, 2003 (left) and afterwards, on February 7, 2004 (right). The top pair of images are natural color views from MISR's nadir camera. The green areas in the post-rainfall image highlight the growth of vegetation. The middle panels show the reflectivity of the surface over the photosynthetically active region (PAR) of visible light (400 - 700 nm), expressed as a directional-hemispherical reflectance (DHR-PAR), or albedo. That portion of the radiation that is not reflected back to the atmosphere or space is absorbed by either the vegetation or the soil. The fraction of PAR radiation absorbed by green vegetation, known as FPAR, is shown in the bottom panels. FPAR is one of the quantities that establishes the photosynthetic and carbon uptake efficiency of live vegetation. MISR's FPAR product makes use of aerosol retrievals to correct for atmospheric scattering and absorption effects, and uses plant canopy structural models to determine the partitioning of solar radiation. Both of these aspects are facilitated by the multiangular nature of the MISR measurements. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 20397 and 22028. The panels cover an area of about 290 kilometers x 228 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 106 to 108 within World Reference System-2 path 96. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Height and Motion of the Chi
…
PIA04328
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Height and Motion of the Chikurachki Eruption Plume |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The height and motion of the ash and gas plume from the April 22, 2003, eruption of the Chikurachki volcano is portrayed in these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). Situated within the northern portion of the volcanically active Kuril Island group, the Chikurachki volcano is an active stratovolcano on Russia's Paramushir Island (just south of the Kamchatka Peninsula). In the upper panel of the still image pair, this scene is displayed as a natural-color view from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. The white and brownish-grey plume streaks several hundred kilometers from the eastern edge of Paramushir Island toward the southeast. The darker areas of the plume typically indicate volcanic ash, while the white portions of the plume indicate entrained water droplets and ice. According to the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team (KVERT), the temperature of the plume near the volcano on April 22 was -12° C. The lower panel shows heights derived from automated stereoscopic processing of MISR's multi-angle imagery, in which the plume is determined to reach heights of about 2.5 kilometers above sea level. Heights for clouds above and below the eruption plume were also retrieved, including the high-altitude cirrus clouds in the lower left (orange pixels). The distinctive patterns of these features provide sufficient spatial contrast for MISR's stereo height retrieval to perform automated feature matching between the images acquired at different view angles. Places where clouds or other factors precluded a height retrieval are shown in dark gray. The multi-angle "fly-over" animation (below) allows the motion of the plume and of the surrounding clouds to be directly observed. The frames of the animation consist of data acquired by the 70-degree, 60-degree, 46-degree and 26-degree forward-viewing cameras in sequence, followed by the images from the nadir camera and each of the four backward-viewing cameras, ending with the view from the 70-degree backward camera. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17776. The panels cover an area of approximately 296 kilometers x 216 kilometers (still images) and 185 kilometers x 154 kilometers (animation), and utilize data from blocks 50 to 51 within World Reference System-2 path 100. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Height and Motion of the Chi
…
PIA04328
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Height and Motion of the Chikurachki Eruption Plume |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The height and motion of the ash and gas plume from the April 22, 2003, eruption of the Chikurachki volcano is portrayed in these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). Situated within the northern portion of the volcanically active Kuril Island group, the Chikurachki volcano is an active stratovolcano on Russia's Paramushir Island (just south of the Kamchatka Peninsula). In the upper panel of the still image pair, this scene is displayed as a natural-color view from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. The white and brownish-grey plume streaks several hundred kilometers from the eastern edge of Paramushir Island toward the southeast. The darker areas of the plume typically indicate volcanic ash, while the white portions of the plume indicate entrained water droplets and ice. According to the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team (KVERT), the temperature of the plume near the volcano on April 22 was -12° C. The lower panel shows heights derived from automated stereoscopic processing of MISR's multi-angle imagery, in which the plume is determined to reach heights of about 2.5 kilometers above sea level. Heights for clouds above and below the eruption plume were also retrieved, including the high-altitude cirrus clouds in the lower left (orange pixels). The distinctive patterns of these features provide sufficient spatial contrast for MISR's stereo height retrieval to perform automated feature matching between the images acquired at different view angles. Places where clouds or other factors precluded a height retrieval are shown in dark gray. The multi-angle "fly-over" animation (below) allows the motion of the plume and of the surrounding clouds to be directly observed. The frames of the animation consist of data acquired by the 70-degree, 60-degree, 46-degree and 26-degree forward-viewing cameras in sequence, followed by the images from the nadir camera and each of the four backward-viewing cameras, ending with the view from the 70-degree backward camera. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17776. The panels cover an area of approximately 296 kilometers x 216 kilometers (still images) and 185 kilometers x 154 kilometers (animation), and utilize data from blocks 50 to 51 within World Reference System-2 path 100. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Aerosols over Central and Ea
…
PIA04325
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Aerosols over Central and Eastern Europe |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Particulate air pollution is a complex mixture of particles of varying origins and compositions. Determining the type and abundance of tiny airborne particles, known as aerosols, is needed for monitoring air quality and for understanding climate change. During the last weeks of March 2003, unusually high and widespread aerosol pollution was detected over Europe by several satellite-borne instruments. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite determines aerosol amount and information about particle properties by examining the variation in scene brightness at different view angles. These images and data products illustrate the amount of aerosols on two dates over parts of Central and Eastern Europe, from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Adriatic Sea in the south. Two groups of three panels are shown. Within each group, the left and center views are natural-color images from MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) and most obliquely forward-viewing cameras, respectively, and the right-hand panel is a map of retrieved aerosol amount, parameterized by a quantity called the optical depth. A color scale is used to represent this quantity, and high aerosol amount is indicated by yellow or green pixels, and clearer skies are indicated by blue pixels. The left-hand group of panels is comprised of data acquired on February 23, 2003, when most of the land area was still partially frozen. The right-hand group of panels portrays the same area about one month later, on March 27. The nadir camera enables surface features to stand out most clearly, whereas MISR's oblique cameras enhance sensitivity to even thin layers of aerosols. In the March image, the only strong indications of haze from the nadir view are the thin tendrils of grayish pixels over the dark waters of the Baltic Sea. Although aerosols are conventionally difficult to discern over bright surfaces, MISR is able to produce an aerosol abundance map for both the earlier snow-covered scene and for the later date, though fewer successful retrievals were obtained in the winter data. Skies were relatively clear in the earlier view, and the high optical depths implied by the red pixels are probably blunders due either to the homogeneity of the underlying snow-covered surface or the presence of unscreened clouds. In contrast, the March data show a thick haze over most of the lower-elevation parts of the observed area. Optical depths are relatively lower over the Julian Alps and the mountains of western Croatia (just north of the Adriatic), whereas higher abundances are observed to the north of the mountains and over eastern Croatia. There is a gradual transition from higher optical depths in western Poland to lower optical depths in Lithuania and along the eastern coast of the Baltic. Higher optical depths are also indicated over much of Hungary, Slovakia and eastern Austria. Places where clouds or other factors precluded an aerosol retrieval are otherwise shown in, dark gray. An overview [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=8637 ] of the haze extent and meteorological conditions for March 28, 2003 is also available from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) sensor. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 16937 and 17403. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 1775 kilometers, and use data from blocks 43 to 55 within World Reference System-2 path 190. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
|
Students and NASA Study Aero
…
PIA04334
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Students and NASA Study Aerosols over Baltimore |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
During Spring 2003, students, teachers, and scientists worked side-by-side, measuring the properties of aerosols (fine particulate matter suspended in the air) over Baltimore, Maryland using hand-held instruments. The campaign had two objectives: providing NASA with high-quality, ground-based measurements to check aerosol properties derived from satellite observations, and helping students learn about possible health effects of aerosols in the region. Health effects are of special interest, since school children in the Baltimore metropolitan area suffer from one of the highest asthma rates [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov:81/Newsroom/NasaNews/2002/200206269449.html ] in the United States. These four image panels from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument, which flies on NASA's Terra satellite, were acquired on May 20, 2003, when the sky was about 50% covered by high, thin, cirrus clouds. The two panels along the top are natural-color images from MISR's directly downward-viewing (nadir) camera (left) and 60° forward-viewing camera (right). Cloudy weather predominated this spring, and of the entire three-month campaign, May 20th was the least-cloudy day during which MISR flew over the study region. Cirrus clouds are more apparent at the steeper viewing angle, and appear to shift position relative to the surface between the two camera views due to the effect of geometric parallax. At lower left is a stereo height field derived using the parallax effect. It shows that most of the cirrus clouds are about 10 kilometers above the surface. At lower right is a map of satellite-retrieved aerosol amount (optical depth). These MISR products have different scales. MISR's highest-resolution imagery is acquired at 275 meter pixel resolution, about the same size of a major league baseball stadium, whereas the aerosol retrievals are produced at 17.6 kilometers, about the size of a small city. To derive aerosol amount, the MISR retrieval algorithm examines the variation in scene brightness over nine view angles and four spectral bands. Under cloudy conditions, it is especially challenging to measure aerosol properties, and MISR makes use of special multi-angle cloud-screening techniques. The AERONET [ http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], global network of autonomous, ground-based, aerosol measuring instruments plays a key role in testing satellite aerosol retrievals. For the May 20 Baltimore experiment, scientists set up an additional eight AERONET instruments at schools and in parts of the Washington Metropolitan area to supplement the standard AERONET stations. Students at 12 schools also used hand-held sun photometers to measure aerosol amount as Terra, and several other satellites flew overhead. The campaign team will combine the single-point measurements made at these ground stations with the regional aerosol picture obtained from the satellites, to create a clearer view of Baltimore's aerosol characteristics. They will then compare the derived aerosol distribution with survey data on health effects, such as the incidence of asthma, to complete their study. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 18193. The panels cover an area of about 246 kilometers x 292 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 59 to 60 within World Reference System-2 path 15. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Fires in the Australian Capi
…
PIA04302
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Fires in the Australian Capital Territory |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The height and extent of billowing smoke plumes from bushfires near Canberra, the Australian capital, are illustrated by these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The images were acquired on January 18, 2003. Never before had fires of this magnitude come so close to Australia's capital. Four people lost their lives and over 500 homes were destroyed, mostly in the southwestern suburbs. Australia's famous Mount Stromlo Observatory, located immediately west of the city, was also incinerated by the fires. The top panel portrays a natural-color view from MISR's nadir camera, in which the eastern portion of the Australian Capital Territory is located south of a pale, ephemeral lake in the upper left-hand corner (Lake George). Several smoke plumes originate within the eastern part of the Australian Capital Territory, while the major plumes originate to the west of the image area. The Australian Capital Territory and much of New South Wales are completely obscured by the smoke, which is driven by fierce westerly winds and extends eastward to the coast and over the Pacific Ocean. The lower panel provides a stereoscopically retrieved height field of the clouds and smoke plumes. The greenish areas indicate where smoke plumes extend several kilometers above a bank of patchy stratus clouds below. A few high clouds appear near the bottom of the image. Wind retrievals were excluded from this image in order to generate a smooth and continuous field. Although relative height variations are well-represented here, the inclusion of wind retrievals for this scene reduces the actual cloud height results by 1 to 2 kilometers. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown as dark gray. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuouslyand every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 16421. The panels cover an area of 380 kilometers x 253 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 118 to 120 within World Reference System-2 path 89. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
|
Wildfires Rage in Southern C
…
PIA04343
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Wildfires Rage in Southern California |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Large plumes of smoke rising from devastating wildfires burning near Los Angeles and San Diego on Sunday, October 26, 2003, are highlighted in this set of images from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). These images include a natural color view from MISR's nadir camera (left) and an automated stereo height retrieval (right). The tops of the smoke plumes range in altitude from 500 - 3000 meters, and the stereo retrieval clearly differentiates the smoke from patches of high-altitude cirrus. Plumes are apparent from fires burning near the California-Mexico border, San Diego, Camp Pendleton, the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, and in and around Simi Valley. The majority of the smoke is coming from the fires near San Diego and the San Bernardino Mountains. The Multiangle Imaging Spectro Radiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 20510. The panels cover an area of 329 kilometers x 543 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 62 to 66 within World Reference System-2 path 40. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Multi-layer Clouds Over the
…
PIA04329
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Multi-layer Clouds Over the South Indian Ocean |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The complex structure and beauty of polar clouds are highlighted by these images acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on April 23, 2003. These clouds occur at multiple altitudes and exhibit a noticeable cyclonic circulation over the Southern Indian Ocean, to the north of Enderbyland, East Antarctica. The image at left was created by overlying a natural-color view from MISR's downward-pointing (nadir) camera with a color-coded stereo height field. MISR retrieves heights by a pattern recognition algorithm that utilizes multiple view angles to derive cloud height and motion. The opacity of the height field was then reduced until the field appears as a translucent wash over the natural-color image. The resulting purple, cyan and green hues of this aesthetic display indicate low, medium or high altitudes, respectively, with heights ranging from less than 2 kilometers (purple) to about 8 kilometers (green). In the lower right corner, the edge of the Antarctic coastline and some sea ice can be seen through some thin, high cirrus clouds. The right-hand panel is a natural-color image from MISR's 70-degree backward viewing camera. This camera looks backwards along the path of Terra's flight, and in the southern hemisphere the Sun is in front of this camera. This perspective causes the cloud-tops to be brightly outlined by the sun behind them, and enhances the shadows cast by clouds with significant vertical structure. An oblique observation angle also enhances the reflection of light by atmospheric particles, and accentuates the appearance of polar clouds. The dark ocean and sea ice that were apparent through the cirrus clouds at the bottom right corner of the nadir image are overwhelmed by the brightness of these clouds at the oblique view. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 17794. The panels cover an area of 335 kilometers x 605 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 142 to 145 within World Reference System-2 path 155. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
|
Dewatering Effects from the
…
PIA03895
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Dewatering Effects from the Gujarat earthquake |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
). The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuouslyand every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 5736 and 5969. The panels cover an area of 215 kilometers x 156 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 71 to 72 within World Reference System-2 path 151. Text acknowledgment: Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/Jet Propulsion Laboratory), David J. Diner (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)., On January 26, 2001, when India's Republic Day is normally celebrated, a devastating earthquake hit the state of Gujarat. About 20,000 people died and millions were injured throughout the region. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale. After the earthquake, local residents reported a mixture of water and sediments fountaining from the Earth. These effects, referred to as dewatering, can result from intense groundshaking by strong earthquakes in regions with shallow water tables. Scientists initially observed dewatering in parts of the Rann of Kutch (a large salt pan in northern Gujarat), and in areas close to the earthquake epicenter. Recent research utilizes the unique capabilities of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument to observe earthquake-related dewatering over a broader area (related story [ http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/0115gujarat.html ]). This research is published in the February 4, 2003 issue of EOS Transactions of the American Geophysical Union. These two false-color MISR images were acquired before and after the event, on January 15 and 31, respectively. The earthquake epicenter was located about 80 kilometers east of the city of Bhuj, situated in the lower part of the images. The later image depicts numerous areas where groundwater flowed up to the surface, including within the Rann of Kutch, as well as near the Indo-Pakistani border. These regions of earthquake-associated surface water are apparent up to 200 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter. Water was observed in many remote areas, especially near the Indo-Pakistani border, which were not easily accessible to survey teams on the ground. Changes in reflection at different view angles and in the near-infrared spectral region assist with the identification of surface water, which appears here in shades of blue and purple. In these visualizations, data from the red band of MISR's most obliquely backward and forward-viewing cameras are displayed as red and blue, respectively, and data from the near-infrared band of MISR's vertically-downward viewing (nadir) camera are displayed as green. Water bodies tend to be more absorbing in the near-infrared, and to be brighter in the view acquired by the more sun-facing (in this case, the 70-degree forward) camera. This combination enhances the ability to distinguish wet surfaces. True color and multi-angle visualizations of these data were also released in April 2001(see PIA03403 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03403 ] or MISR Site [ http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/galhistory/2001_apr_25.html ] |
|
Smoke over Nigeria and the G
…
PIA03897
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Smoke over Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These images and data products from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer(MISR) document extensive smoke from fires burning throughout Nigeria and north central Africa on January 31, 2003. At left are natural-color views acquired by MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) and most oblique forward viewing cameras. The images extend from arid Niger in the north (including the dark-colored Aïr Mountains), through forested Nigeria, and beyond the Niger Delta to the Gulf of Guinea and the open ocean. Smoke present in the lower portion of the images, and a series of thin, high clouds, are more apparent at the oblique view angle. Although numerous small smoke plumes emanate from fires burning within the image area, some of the smoke can also be attributed to fires that were burning across the north central African Sahel and savanna regions at this time and during the previous two weeks. A map of aerosol optical depth, which is a measure of atmospheric particle abundance, is shown at center-right. MISR utilizes the changes in the atmosphere's ability to transmit light and the variation in scene brightness at different view angles to retrieve aerosol optical depth and deduce some of the properties of the particles. A thick pall of smoke is present over Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, indicated by green, yellow and red pixels over these regions. Clear skies are indicated by the blue and purple pixels over the desert regions and ocean. Places where clouds or other factors precluded an aerosol retrieval are shown in dark gray. The position of clouds appears to move with view angle relative to the ground due to geometric parallax. MISR utilizes the parallax effect to generate its stereo height fields. The right-hand panel is a stereoscopically derived cloud mask (SDCM), which classifies regions as clear or cloudy based upon their heights above the surface and is one of several cloud masks produced by MISR. The high and low confidence designations are related to how well the stereo height retrieval algorithms were able to determine the absolute height of the clouds. The pall of smoke, unlike the clouds and underlying surface, does not contain an organized spatial texture, and the stereo retrievals classify the smoke-filled regions as clear despite the large abundance of airborne particles. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuouslyand every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 16602. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 2520 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 74 to 92 within World Reference System-2 path 189. Text acknowledgment: Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/Jet Propulsion Laboratory). |
|
|
